dreamingpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Violence, Mental illness, and Racism
dannybailey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In saying that, I am aware that it is very much a personal thing and not a problem with King and his story-telling that made it difficult for me to get through and enjoy this book (especially since I was expecting to enjoy this one in-particular).
I love King's novels and stories, but upon reading this one, I am forever disappointed in the discovery that I do not enjoy all his novels and stories. This one had a lot of upsides— definitely. But the second half of this book really drained me. I was very done with all the sexual references and activities, all the violence often associated with that sexual content and context, it really raised red flags in my head that made me feel sick and deeply disturbed, to a point where it overshadowed a lot of the good stuff in this story, for me.
Aside from my own personal perception and experience (of which I'm sure will be relevant to others who read this book), as a story it is still one I can understand why a lot of people love and find compelling. It is well written, full of vivid detail (which I found both good and bad) and a very epic story that is most certainly an intrigue to take part in.
Graphic: Animal death, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Racial slurs, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Murder, Misogyny, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Drug use, Racism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Sexism
celleke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I once heard that 'IT' is peak wierd Stephen King, and boy is that true, but (mostly) in a good way. Most of the book was really good and REALLY scary, like really really creepy. I never knew I could be terrified in so many different ways. Other parts however were a little bit of a slog to get through. King kan go in to so mutch detail, sometimes it really makes the world and characters feel more real and alive, but other times it makes for paragraphs that are wayyyyy to long and get kind of boring.
The begenning was kind of hard to get into, then it got really good. Somewhere a little past the midpoint it gets a little repetitive and then towards the end it ramps up again.
I was glad I finally finished the book because it was getting a little too long, hiwever I dont regret reading 'IT' and look foreward to reading more Stephen King
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Suicide, and Gore
aoifemarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Cursing, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt
sxndaze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“My heart is with all of them, and I think that, even if we forget each other, we’ll remember in our dreams.”
as someone who was (and is really) obsessed with IT 2017, reading this book felt like a wild ride. the high rating is probably because of how much i love the losers and how attached i am to them and their story because there are some wild ass things stephen king writes. extremely questionable at times and it really makes you wonder why. but at its core, this is a story of love and friendship and belief and trauma and he does such an amazing job of showcasing that.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Child death, Cursing, Death, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Antisemitism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Racism, Self harm, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcohol and Torture
locoemsky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide, Antisemitism, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Death, Racism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Bullying, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Gore
miawallace3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Racism, and Murder
mboard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
First off, I wasn’t scared basically the whole book. Honestly, the scariest scene was adult Bev trying to escape her super abusive husband Tom to get to Derry to kill It once and for all. Tom being so unhinged stressed me the f*** out. My perspective is that It really isn’t that scary to adults hence why It is only visible to children and preys on them. The only reason the gang is terrified as adults is the memories of being attacked when they were young where the imprints of that trauma are carried with them into adulthood. The idea makes sense but I had high expectations of being scared and It did not deliver.
The characters and town of Derry are so real and lived in you feel like Derry was your hometown and you knew of Henry Bower’s to big bully and the nerds like Bill and Richie that were always nice but on the outskirts. But if I didn’t feel like I grew up with these kids after 1200 pages I would be irate. There were definitely some of the kids I liked better than others. Eddie is my boy. His mother pushing psychosomatic illnesses on him his whole life making him belief he’s weak and fragile. When faced with that fact he decides to stay comfortable and allow himself to be babied instead of essentially throwing away everything he thought he knew about himself. I felt that was so authentic and real I just wanted to hug him.
In terms of plot, I enjoyed the adults storyline over the kids but the way SK weaves the two timelines together especially at the end is masterful. There were times I was just in awe of how perfectly he transitioned between 1958 and 1985. The kids storyline of them just getting bullied wasn’t as interesting to me as the dread of facing It after 27 years and how their lives turned out after such intense trauma. The plot definitely wasn’t perfect though like why in the hell is there a child 0rgy?? Why are we getting descriptions of 12 year old Bev’s tiny t!tties? I don’t wanna hear it. Ew.
I just don’t know how I feel about it but it’s a book that is definitely memorable for it’s characters and atmosphere. Would I say it’s worth the read? Ehhhhh I don’t know.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Antisemitism
kaitoro_walker13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Racial slurs
emjeanreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Violence, Racial slurs, Animal death, Blood, Homophobia, Racism, and Gore